Community comes together to help young hunter

Kyle is a young man who is well known in the local outdoor
community. He lives on the edge of Lake Henshaw and many local
hunters and fishermen have followed his success as he has come up
in the outdoors.

He's a country boy, raised in the rural area of Lake Henshaw and
known for his sense of humor and good spirit spirits. Kyle began
hunting as a participant in junior Pheasant Hunts and has graduated
to now being a helper at the annual event. He knows and loves the
back country and has progressed from an avid and successful rifle
hunter and upland game hunter to a developing bow hunter.

Kyle is a frequent character in a room of characters on most
opening days, when liars and braggers gather for breakfast at Lake
Henshaw Cafe after the first morning's hunt. Kyle has had his
successes and many have enjoyed sharing them, like his first deer,
wild turkey or the limits of wild ducks he downed.

But Kyle needs a much more important success now. He's only 19,
but was diagnosed this week with metastatic melanoma, a serious
form of cancer that is invading his young body. Kyle will need
prayers, support and help in this battle for his life. Family and
friends have hope that specialized treatment at the Angeles Clinic
Research Institute at the John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa
Monica may save his life.

The mountain community has been quick to respond for this
energetic, likable young man. Local residents have already
organized a benefit event to raise funds for his treatment and to
create a network of support.

Now the push is on for donations that will attract crowds to the
planned Jan. 12 benefit event. Already there have been donations of
art works, outdoor equipment, firearms, and much more. The list
grows daily, but donations are still welcome.

Cash donations can be sent to Kyle Casto, in care of Lake
Henshaw Resort, 26439 Highway 76, Santa Ysabel, CA 92070, or if you
have items to donate, contact the resort at (760) 782-3503.

The Jan. 12 benefit will begin at 5 p.m. at Julian High and the
public is welcome. Donations will be accepted, and in addition to
dinner, there will be a band and live auction.

Hunter safety

The California Department of Fish & Game two-dayhunter
education class, required for getting a hunting license in
California, is being offered at the Escondido Fish & Game Club
in Valley Center from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Jan. 12 and 13. For
more information or to sign up for the class, contact Frank
Alessioat (760) 743-8718or e-mail
alessiof@pacbell.net
.

Outdoor economics

California's hunters and anglers are spending $3.6 billion a
year on outdoor sports and represent a "significant impact on the
American economy," according to a report produced by the
Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation.

According to "Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American
Economy -- A force as big as all outdoors," California's 1.7
million hunters and anglers are among the most prominent and
influential of all demographic groups. The report spotlights the
immense impact hunters and anglers have on the economy at the
national and state level.

In California, spending by hunters and anglers directly supports
53,500 jobs, which puts $2 billion worth of paychecks into pockets
of working residents around the state. Government coffers also
benefit from $452 million in state and local taxes. These latest
figures demonstrate that season after season hunters and anglers
are driving the economy from big businesses to rural towns, through
booms and recessions.

"Because sportsmen enjoy hunting or fishing alone or in small
groups, they are overlooked as a constituency and as a substantial
economic force," stated Jeff Crane, president of the Congressional
Sportsmen's Foundation. "When you compare spending by hunters and
anglers to other sectors, their impact on the state's economy
becomes more tangible."

On the national level, 34 million sportsmen age 16 and older
spent more than $76 billion in 2006, supporting 1.6 million
jobs.

The report was produced by the Congressional Sportsmen's
Foundation with support from the Alliance of Automobile
Manufacturers, National Marine Manufacturers Association, National
Shooting Sports Foundation and SCI -- First For Hunters. The report
uses the results from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2006
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated
Recreation and statistics provided by the American Sportfishing
Association and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.